Back to school with children beyond our borders

With August comes a few inevitabilities: hot weather, crowded malls, and another back to school season. For many children around the world, though, the last one isn’t so inevitable.

According to a 2016 report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), approximately 263 million children and youth are out of school around the world. This is especially prevalent in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, where almost 60% of youth aged 15-17 are not in school. Armed conflict also plays a large part in this statistic: 35% of primary aged children, 25% of lower secondary aged children, and 18% of upper secondary aged children who are not in school live in conflict-affected areas.

Gender also still remains an issue when it comes to equal education for children. Girls are more likely than boys to never step foot in a classroom: 15 million girls will never get the chance to learn to read and write in primary school compared to 10 million boys. These gaps are even wider in the poorest regions of the world. These education deficits have wide-reaching implications for women, from lower employment wages to higher child mortality rates.

This issue is even prevalent in our own nation. Children Beyond Our Borders is committed to the belief that every child deserves to have an education, regardless of social status, race or gender. This back to school season, remember that education = empowerment. Add yourself to the equation with our organization.

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